A CHINGFORD athlete has crowned a great season by becoming the second-fastest under-17 runner in Britain this year over 5000 metres.

Lauren MacGregor, who runs with Chingford-based Orion Harriers, achieved her feat at the London Inter-Club Challenge in Barnet.

The 15-year-old has also achieved four records this year, which means she is now ranked nu-mber two in Britain at under-17 level.

She has also competed in events aga-inst older athletes but has not been phased by the competition. MacGregor represented the Essex County Senior Women’s Team in the Eastern Inter-Counties Bemax Trophy event at Ipswich, where she finished third.

She achieved personal bests at seven different distances on the track during the 2009 season, ranging from 200m to 5000m, and setting four records in the process. MacGregor became Essex Schools 3000m champion in Chelmsford in June.

The youngster then followed this up by becoming the Eastern Counties 3000m champion at Cambridge.

Her coach, former England international Maxine Joyce, is delighted with her progress this season.